There was a lack of fanfare for the Buffalo Bills in this year’s annual NFL draft, as the team had no first round choice. Since I completed a four-part season review of the team after the 2014 season ended, the team has made a lot of big splashes, starting with the hiring of their bombastic new coach, Rex Ryan. General manager Doug Whaley engineered a big trade in which the team acquired one of the league’s top backs, LeSean McCoy, for linebacker Kiko Alonso. Bad boy offensive lineman Richie Incognito was signed to strengthen the offensive line, while the receiving corps was upgraded with the free agent signings of versatile speedster Percy Harvin and tight end Charles Clay. With Ryan planning to use a run-first offensive attack as he tries to figure out who the quarterback will be, fullback Jerome Felton, who blocked for Adrian Peterson’s recent 2,000 yard season, was also brought into the fold. Competition for EJ Manuel at QB will now include veteran Matt Cassel, acquired through a trade with the Vikings, and another free agent signee, Tyrod Taylor, who backed up Joe Flacco with the Ravens for the last 4 years. The Bills also had no fourth round pick this year, so in all they added only six new players to the team. All six should have a good shot at sticking to the final roster. Here’s what the Bills added to the mix in the three day draft:
2. Ronald Darby (DB – Florida State) – with eight cornerbacks already on the roster, this position was a bit of a surprise as the team’s first choice in the draft. Darby is a talented prospect, however. His college numbers are paltry, with very few interceptions, but the Bills’ scouts say that’s because he wasn’t tested much due to his outstanding coverage ability. He has a reputation for not being physical in the run game, so that’s a concern. His greatest asset is his world-class speed, which helps him in coverage.
3. John Miller (G – Louisville) – he’s a good offensive line prospect who lasted until round 3 due to his lack of size, as if being 6’2 and 303 pounds isn’t big enough. He has great upper body strength and his pass blocking skills are said to be better than his run blocking, which is the opposite of most rookies coming into the NFL. Miller should have a good chance of cracking the starting lineup with the Bills, since guard was a weakness in 2014.
5. Karlos Williams (RB – Florida State) – this pick is a bit of a head-scratcher for a couple of reasons, the biggest one being that the team is already loaded with talented backs. It’s hard to see where he fits in, unless he spends a year on the practice squad as a future replacement for Fred Jackson, who is the oldest runner in the NFL. Williams also has considerable off-the-field baggage, including a domestic battery case. On the field, he’s supposed to have a high ceiling for improvement, since he has only played the running back position for 2 years after switching over from safety.
6A. Tony Steward (LB – Clemson) – with Kiko Alonso being traded and Brandon Spikes and Keith Rivers gone, linebacker is a position of need for the Bills, so Steward has a realistic shot at making the team. He was a higher-rated prospect coming out of high school than former Clemson teammate and current Bill Sammy Watkins, but a pair of ACL surgeries, one on each knee, hampered his play in college. If he stays healthy, he could be a sixth round steal.
6B. Nick O’Leary (TE – Florida State) – the Bills had a limited number of picks this year, and amazingly grabbed three players from Florida State with those picks. O’Leary was considered a good fit for the Bills before the draft since offensive coordinator Greg Roman likes to employ multiple tight ends in his scheme. An old school player who catches with his bare hands rather than use receiving gloves, he dropped in the draft because of his poor showing at the combine and his supposed lack of athleticism. Still, he played well enough for the Seminoles to win the John Mackey Award as college football’s top tight end.
7. Dezmin Lewis (WR – Central Arkansas) – seventh round draftees are usually long shots to make NFL rosters, but Buffalo picked up a starter in Seantrel Henderson last year, and Lewis is an intriguing prospect also. He did what scouts look for from small college players, which was to dominate their competition. He also has good hands and brings a dimension to the team that is lacking among the receiving corps. At 6’4 he uses his length to catch balls over shorter defenders. Hopefully he gets some pre-season opportunities to show what he can do as a red zone target.